PRESERVE your leftover fruit and veg – and you’ll preserve your finances too.
Around 30 per cent of all food produced is wasted, so as it’s National Preservation Week, I’m revisiting old ways to keep your pantry full for longer.
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SLICED SNACKS: Use up old fruit and veg by drying it to create tasty nibbles.
Slice it up, place it on a tray on your oven’s coolest setting for a few hours and you can fill tubs with portion-sized snacks.
Apple slices make a great sweet afternoon snack, while root veggies make excellent crisps with a bit of added salt.
PICKLE THIS: I love adding pickled veg to salads and cooked dishes for a fresh taste. It works best with fresh veg, so do this straight after your weekly shop.
Heat equal parts vinegar and water (optional salt and sugar) and pour into jars of freshly sliced veg, adding spices or herbs for extra flavour. Once cool, keep them in the fridge.
GET SAUCY: Canning or tinning — using jars, not cans or tins — provides easy future dinner options.
For the simplest method, you need a saucepan, boiling water and usually a cooling rack.
The easiest recipe I’ve tried so far is tomato pasta sauce using fresh skinned tomatoes, fresh basil and lemon juice.
I’ll direct you to /foodinjars.com/canning-101-archive for exact, easy-to-follow methods, a great do-and-don’t section and advice, because following the methods exactly brings the best results.
JAMMY IDEA: Buy fresh fruit and berries while they are on offer and make your own jam.
There are lots of YouTube recipes to follow exactly (it’s worth it to ensure you seal correctly and avoid any bacteria forming) and don’t just stick to sweet.
Onion jams are a great addition to a summer cheese board!
KEEP A LID ON IT: Recycling old jars is the simplest way to ensure you have enough containers, or look for secondhand jars on auction sites such as Gumtree, or ask friends to save their jars.
You could give them a jar of your produce as a gift to say thanks.
- Prices correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
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Cheap treat
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USE these cute 250ml jars from Wilko for all your preserving. They are just £1.50.
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Shop and save
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SAVE: £3
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